ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. swing — music
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. last — to go on
  5. ground — a position
  6. last — finally
  7. stem — to come from
  8. staff — employees
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. race — the arms race
  11. row — a line
  12. ground — the earth
  13. race — humankind
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. staff — employees
  21. lie — to recline
  22. race — a contest
  23. row — to paddle
  24. swing — to play on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com